Say Hello To Goodbye
by Dark Promise
Summary: Hey stranger, how you been? Feels like I'm standing on the outside looking in... SasuSaku.


**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

Author's Note: Written this a month ago and it's been sitting in uploads since then. I posted it for a quick read for my followers. I don't know if I should just finish it here, a little insight on how Sakura may feel when Sasuke returns. I have no plot picked out for this story. This was inspired by Say Hello To Goodbye song by Shontelle. Worth a listen. :]

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><p><strong>Say <em>Hello<em> To **

**G . o . o . d . b . y . e **

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The cold sterile hallways were constantly filled with nurses and doctors hustling from room to room to help patients. Sakura Haruno, the head of the hospital staff, hid herself away from the noisy beeping machines and the nurses who asked too many questions. Shimmering green eyes shifted to the window looking out, finally noticing the villagers making their way to the gates. The pink hair kunoichi was recalled from the battlefield to oversee amputees and those who took serious injuries at Konoha's state of the art hospital. She stood up from her desk to get a better view of the commotion and movement; what was causing them to cheer and shout?

_No way..._ Sakura's eyes widened as she opened the window, pink tresses being blown back from the breeze forcing it's way into the office. Papers rustled, sparse sheets of a patient's file littered the floor. Ignoring the mess caused, she leapt from the window not bothering to take the stairs.

Landing gracefully after a ten story building hop, her doctor's coat swished and settled behind her slim frame. Shielded by the crowd, she got to look at what was causing the cheers and cries of happiness. The number one knuckle-headed idiot had returned... with the Uchiha traitor. The crowd fell silent as Naruto grinned and looped an arm around Sasuke's back, making them move forward together as one. Tsunade was there, smirking and shaking her head. One villager found his voice and shouted out, "Why did you bring him back? He's nothing but a traitor!" The other civilians followed his sentiments.

Naruto frowned and stepped forward when Sasuke tensed.

"He is the victim of a heinous crime. The elders ordered Itachi Uchiha to kill his own clan, only he couldn't kill his brother. They ordered it based off of false assumptions, thinking the Uchiha clan was behind the nine tails fox attack seventeen years ago! It was an Uchiha... Madara Uchiha! He made them believe it was the Uchiha clan's fault. Sasuke Uchiha is innocent."

The villagers were shocked into silence.

Tsunade stepped forward, "Naruto, there is an more appropriate venue to discuss such matters. Let's go to my office."

"Ok, Baa-chan." Naruto turned to his best friend and grinned once more.

Sasuke's lips curved into a smirk, "Hmph, Dobe."

Meanwhile, Sakura was experiencing many emotions all at once. Happiness, sadness, anger, guilt, and grief.

She was happy he was home, sad because of what the elders made his brother do, angry at how the villagers treated him and his clan, guilty for her attempt to take his life, and the overwhelming grief and fear that nothing would change. Team 7 was officially together again, the boys would be back to bantering playfully, Kakashi-sensei reading his perverted book and ignoring the duo, and the pink haired girl being in the shadow of the hero of the leaf and the Uchiha avenger. Yes, everything would fall back into place. Routine. Normalcy. A deep resonance within made her unsettled. There would be no going back for her.

They walked by her, too wrapped up in each other. She didn't blame them, after all they considered each other brothers in the end.

Isn't this what she wanted? Her Sasuke-kun back and everything alright again? No. He may be back, but his feelings for her remained unchanged and would always be that way. Tears welled up in her eyes and she brushed them off quickly. No more crying, she swore to herself. The pair followed by the Hokage, Kakashi, and Yamato made the journey to the Hokage Tower, leaving Naruto's fading laughter echoing in her ears.

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"So Baa-chan-"

"Don't call me that Naruto." A honey eyed glare.

"Sasuke-teme is free to go right?"

"His present glory doesn't cover over his past offenses. Yes, he helped you defeat Madara. He's also killed people, Konoha and non-Konoha shinobi alike. The Hokages and the Lords will be getting together to sentence him."

"What? Baa-" Naruto stopped as Tsunade held up her hand to silence him.

"Though he will not likely get the death penalty, there will be terms and conditions he will have to abide by."

"Understood." Sasuke replied, cutting off Naruto from opening his loud mouth once again.

"For now you are free to roam around the village. If you leave the village again, I cannot stop the Hokages and Lords from giving you the death penalty. It will be completely out of my hands." Picking up a small cup of sake, she tossed the spicy drink to the back of her throat.

Suddenly Naruto noticed someone was missing.

"Where is Sakura-chan?" She should be here, crying and hugging them both.

"Hospital shift." Tsunade started to thumb through papers, the conversation obviously over.

Naruto was already out the door shouting something about Ramen.

Sasuke slowly followed.

"Uchiha."

He stopped, cocking his head slightly to the side.

"Just don't kill anyone."

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Sakura stood outside of the Ichiraku stand staring at her boys. They both were slurping down noodles and talking. Well, Naruto mainly jabbering while Sasuke listened. The Uchiha avenger had changed his clothes to a black tank top (to show off his arm muscles) that had the Uchiha clan symbol stitched in with dark blue baggy pants. He wore Itachi's necklace and his arms and arms, wrists, and knuckles were wrapped in white tape. At seventeen he was still drop dead gorgeous and had a growing number of fangirls with only being back in the village for a few hours. Naruto still wore his trademark orange jump suit. Sasuke's shoulders tensed as if he sensed someone behind him. Shaking off the feeling and forcing himself to relax he replied to Naruto about sparring the next day.

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><p>Naruto turned his head, mouth full of noodles.<p>

"Hrmph.. Sakura-chan!" He greeted.

Sasuke's fingers flexed as he placed his chopsticks down, fully turning his attention to the pink haired girl standing in the darkness.

Moving into the lights of the stand, she blushed when making eye contact with Sasuke.

He emotionlessly stared back.

Agonizingly slow, her gaze drifted back to Naruto.

"Hey." She said simply.

"Look, Sakura-chan!" Naruto grabbed onto Sasuke's shirt and gave it a forceful tug, "I brought Sasuke-teme home!"

"Tch, get your greasy hands off me Dobe!" Sasuke peeled Naruto's fingers off him while hiding a blush of his own.

"That's great Naruto." His cheery face fell into a frown when she gave him a fake smile.

"Welcome back Sasuke." Plump lips working smoothly, though the words uttered made her heart clench.

A awkward silence followed.

"Sakura-chan, join us for dinner!" Naruto was already working on his third bowl.

Her body felt hot and prickly as Sasuke's unwavering gaze drank in her form.

"No thanks, I gotta get ready for a mission." She waved her hand through the air, clearly pressing business.

Shuffling out of the spotlight, she told Naruto she'd visit him tomorrow.

"Mission? The war's just ended, there is now peace." Naruto called after her.

Sakura swallowed thickly while walking quickly away from the stand, her back feeling warm from _his_ gaze.

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"What do you mean she's on a life-long mission?" Naruto shouted and slammed his fist down onto Tsunade's desk, making the stack of papers and miscellaneous items to jump.

"Naruto, calm down!" Kakashi snapped from behind, reclining in a corner reading his book.

Sasuke's face scrunched slightly. Life-long mission?

"She will be visiting the countries and doing ambassador work as well as helping build hospitals and train medical staff."

"So she could still come back when she's done right?" Naruto asked.

"Yes," Tsunade paused, "but we don't have a timeline for when she'll be back."

Naruto's fists clenched as his teeth ground together... just when he got Sasuke back, Sakura left. _Why?_

"Don't worry about Sakura, she can take care of herself. You need to be focused on assuming my role as Hokage. Sasuke needs to be focused on his trial coming up in a month."

Time flows on and stops for no one.

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End. Continue? What should happen next? Help me write the story!


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